SCOTTSBORO, ALA. (Sept. 11, 2006) - Boater Jason Grape of Rainbow City, Ala., earned 300 points and $6,175 Sunday as the winner of the Bass Fishing League Bama Division Super Bass Tournament on Lake Guntersville. He also earned a $1,500 Ranger Cup bonus for a total of $7,675 in winnings.
Grape's two-day winning catch of 10 bass weighed 43 pounds, 7 ounces and was caught on Bo's jigs fished on river ledges and rats fished over matted grass.
"On the first day, we had our limit by 9:15 by fishing jigs on a river ledge," he said. "We were waiting outside of the marina by 10 o'clock in the morning."
Rounding out the top five boaters are David Gray of Section, Ala. (10 bass, 38 pounds, 6 ounces, $3,088); Sam Bass of Section, Ala. (10 bass, 35 pounds, 15 ounces, $2,060); Tim Buckner of Scottsboro, Ala. (10 bass, 35 pounds, 12 ounces, $1,441) and Marshall Deakins of Dunlap, Tenn. (10 bass, 34 pounds, 5 ounces, $1,235).
Ryan Anaya of Warrior, Ala., won the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award with a 7-pound, 3-ounce bass that earned him $847.
Wes Ward of Birmingham, Ala., earned $2,916 as the co-angler winner thanks to nine bass weighing 33 pounds, 13 ounces that he caught on jigs, 10 1/2 -inch worms and rats while fishing with Grape.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Kent Lodari of Seymour, Tenn. (six bass, 22 pounds, 2 ounces, $1,458); David Pollard of Carrollton, Ga. (six bass, 19 pounds, 2 ounces, $971); Tyler Ford of Tuscumbia, Ala. (five bass, 16 pounds, 3 ounces, $680) and Beaver Potterfield of Hollywood, Ala. (five bass, 14 pounds, 14 ounces, $583).
Curt McGuire of Lawrenceburg, Tenn., earned $394 as the co-angler Snickers Big Bass winner with a 6-pound, 13-ounce bass.
The top 40 Bama Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will now advance to the no-entry-fee Kentucky Lake Regional Championship near Gilbertsville, Ky., Oct. 19-21, where they will compete against Buckeye, Hoosier and Mountain Division anglers for a new Ranger boat and a Chevy truck in the Boater Division plus six slots in the no-entry-fee 2007 Wal-Mart BFL All-American.